January 30, 2006
January 28, 2006
January 27, 2006
January 25, 2006
Wham-O sold to Hong
Wham-O Inc., the Emeryville maker of iconic toys like the Frisbee, Slip'N Slide and Hula Hoop, has been sold to a Hong Kong's Cornerstone Overseas Investment Ltd.
JUNE 01, 2005 — Kmart and Sears. Federated Department Stores Inc. and the May Department Stores Co. Saks Inc.'s Proffitt's/McRae's department store chains and Belk. Neiman Marcus, Toys "R" Us, ShopKo and private investment firms.
If you’re looking to adopt a dog, but don’t have time to train a new puppy, the Muskingum County Animal Shelter has the perfect pet for you. Buddha is an 8-month old, Chocolate Lab Mix, who is alre…
DECEMBER 01, 2002 — The first image that comes to mind when most people think of licensing is sports or entertainment, but there's more to it than that. Licensing has become a powerful, contemporary form of marketing and brand extension.
JANUARY 24, 2006 - Stevens, Pa. — Though shoppers' holiday spending exceeded pre-season expectations, individual holiday spending for 2005 came in well under 2004 figures, according to a recent Unity Marketing Survey.
NOVEMBER 01, 2005 — Whole Foods Market is on a roll. For its third quarter ended July 3, the Austin, Texas-based organic grocer boasted sales of $1.1 billion, an increase of 23 percent. It also saw comparable store sales growth of 15.2 percent. And the growth doesn't stop there.
January 24, 2006
Court orders winding up
In the UK, the High Court has granted an order for the winding-up of Digital Jesters, Coverage at:http://shorl.com/fovabaprastoja “Wanna join our group? Then prove you can speak English.†Chinese-speaking World of Warcraft (WOW) players are complaining that they’re being discriminated because they can’t speak English. They say other WOW players won’t let them joint their groups because they assume non-English speaking players aren’t true players–they’re gold-miners who are earning booty for their employers or themselves to auction. Is there any potential liability here? Canada and most of its provinces and territories have human rights legislation that prohibits discrimination on various grounds such as race or ancestry. The legislation applies to specific activities, such as employment, tenancy, publishing and providing services to the public. It’s often OK to discriminate on other grounds that aren’t prohibited by the legislation (for example, you can probably discriminate against people with green hair, as long as you equally discriminate between men and women with green hair). So the first issue is whether Blizzard (the publisher of WOW) or the other players are discriminating on the basis of any prohibited ground. Here, the basis of discrimination is language, not race or ancestry. This will likely make it difficult for the legislation to apply because language isn't a named ground of discrimination. But that said, the Supreme Court of Canada has previously read-in unnamed grounds of discrimination (such as sexual orientation), so there's always an argument that language discrimination should be read-into the legislation. The second issue is whether Blizzard or the English-speaking players are discriminating in the course of any of the specified activities. Here, the only activity that appears to apply is “providing services to the publicâ€. The players probably aren’t providing services to the public, and although Blizzard is probably providing services to the public, it’s not the one doing the discrimination. In short: it would probably be tough to argue that the discrimination is prohibited by Canadian law. That said, it doesn’t mean the discrimination is acceptable. There may be other ways to address it. For example, Blizzard has apolicyprohibiting the use of language that promotes racial or ethnic hatred. And Blizzard’s terms of use are broad enough that Blizzard might be able to argue that the discrimination is prohibited by contract Coverage of the WOW discrimination is here: http://www.shorl.com/bafokafavufe Here's another post for the "Make up your mind, people!" section of the blog. Back in the fall of 2005, we told you hereandherehow studies had linked video game playing to violent behavior, and how yet more studies (where do they find the time?!) had The full report will be published in the Journal of Experimental Social Science this year. Additional coverage at:http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8449 As part of EA and NestaFuturelab's Teaching With Games project, a study published this week says U.K. teachers support the use of video games in education. 1,000 primary and secondary school teachers in the U.K. participated in the EA-sponsored study and 60% said they would use video games as an "interactive way" to motivate and engage students in learning. The study says 91% of teachers agreed that video games have some educational benefits, including aiding in the development of motor-cognitive skills, higher-order thinking and the ability to accumulate topic-specific knowledge. The Teaching With Games Project is investigating the potential uses for and implications of video games in classrooms. Coverage at:http://www.nestafuturelab.org/research/teachingwithgames.htm The owners of a video game store in California were recently indicted for allegedly copying XBOX games and installing them on modded consoles. Video game piracy is obviously an infringement of copyright, and it might also be a criminal offence. Likewise, circumventing copy protection technology can violate US copyright law. Canada does not yet have anti-circumvention legislation; however, Canada’sproposed amendments to the Copyright Actdo currently contain anti-circumvention provsions. Coverage here:http://www.shorl.com/bejubugrekuko
January 22, 2006
Three-Minute Moguls (BusinessWeek)Edgy filmmakers
Edgy filmmakers are forging an online Hollywood. Some are even making a living
The summertime slowdown offers retailers a great time to collect their thoughts and prepare for the fourth quarter. But Germany is a country in which festivals and celebrations occur throughout the entire year, offering numerous opportunities to promote German foods and beverages.
NOVEMBER 01, 2005 — Whole Foods Market is on a roll. For its third quarter ended July 3, the Austin, Texas-based organic grocer boasted sales of $1.1 billion, an increase of 23 percent. It also saw comparable store sales growth of 15.2 percent. And the growth doesn't stop there.
Wham-O Inc., the Emeryville maker of iconic toys like the Frisbee, Slip'N Slide and Hula Hoop, has been sold to a Hong Kong's Cornerstone Overseas Investment Ltd.
JUNE 01, 2005 — Kmart and Sears. Federated Department Stores Inc. and the May Department Stores Co. Saks Inc.'s Proffitt's/McRae's department store chains and Belk. Neiman Marcus, Toys "R" Us, ShopKo and private investment firms.
JUNE 10, 2003 - — Jeffrey Himmel knows the value of resuscitation. He should. He's spent the last two decades bringing old products back to life. Remember Ovaltine? The chocolaty drink born in 1904 died a slow death when it lost market share to competitors like Nestlé Quick.
As its global trade surplus grows, other countries are getting panicky. But if handled right, this situation could lead to a more balanced global economy
January 21, 2006
Prince of Persia 3:
Ubisoft yesterday announced the highly anticipated The Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones had shipped for the Xbox, PS2 and Gamecube (PC version coming next week), which means you should expect to see the game in retail stores today. In…
Electronic Arts today announced the next installment in the Medal of Honor(TM) series. The new game, due out in Dec.'06 for the PS3, PS2, Xbox 360, Xbox, and PC, is titled: Medal of Honor Airborne(TM). The game will feature…
EA's anti-Splinter Cell shooter (read: blow'em up…no stealth), Black(TM) (PS2, Xbox, Feb. 28), now has a website. The site contains the normal features you'd expect from a game site: movies, screens, game info, etc., and one feature that you…
Ubisoft has today announced the name for the fourth installment of the Splinter Cell franchise: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent(TM). According to the press release, the game"will completely revolutionize and reinvent the spy action genre by introducing an…
Apparently Jack Thompson can walk and chew gum at the same time. While we were thinking the anti-video game advocate was distracted by his current campaign against the Florida Bar Association, he managed to pop his head out long enough…
Since Jer's jealous I've completed my PD0 guide, he wanted me to inform you all that he's getting very, very close to completing the rough draft of the LB Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones (TM) Walkthrough and Strategy Guide….
January 20, 2006
"Splinter Cell 4"Gets a
Ubisoft has today announced the name for the fourth installment of the Splinter Cell franchise: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent(TM). According to the press release, the game"will completely revolutionize and reinvent the spy action genre by introducing an…
Despite Jack Thompson's promise to keep 25 to Life from reaching the market, Eidos's entry in the GTA genre has officially shipped (finally) and is expected to arrive in stores today. In 25 to Life gamers will get to choose…
Electronic Arts today announced the next installment in the Medal of Honor(TM) series. The new game, due out in Dec.'06 for the PS3, PS2, Xbox 360, Xbox, and PC, is titled: Medal of Honor Airborne(TM). The game will feature…
Since Jer's jealous I've completed my PD0 guide, he wanted me to inform you all that he's getting very, very close to completing the rough draft of the LB Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones (TM) Walkthrough and Strategy Guide….
Ubisoft yesterday announced the highly anticipated The Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones had shipped for the Xbox, PS2 and Gamecube (PC version coming next week), which means you should expect to see the game in retail stores today. In…
January 19, 2006
January 18, 2006
January 17, 2006
SYSTEM SHOCK TM SIGN
Take-Two Interactive recently purchased Irrational Games, who developed the well-known System Shock 2 game. That game was published by Electronic Arts. Take-Two has announced that it will publish Irrational’s next game, BioShock, which is touted as the “spiritual successor†to System Shock 2 (although it is not a sequel). Perhaps in related news, EA recently filed a US trade-mark application for SYSTEM SHOCK. Whether this means that a sequel to System Shock 2 is in the works remains to be seen. Coverage at:http://shorl.com/jepybreketega and at:http://shorl.com/bygrarilytujy The US District Court for the Northern District of California has granted a preliminary injunction stopping the implementation of California’s new video game law. The Court stated that video games are protected by the First Amendment’s freedom of speech principles, and that the law would likely be ruled unconstitutional. This is the third video game law in two months to receive such treatment by courts: Michigan’s video game law was ruled unconstitutional in November, and the same thing happened to an Illinois law a few weeks ago. ESA Press Release at:http://shorl.com/gipilagagovu Coverage at:http://shorl.com/humufrakijyri The lawsuit against Take-Two brought by the families of police personnel murdered by a GTA-playing teen will continue to trial. An Alabama judge has dismissed Take-Two’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit. As a result, the way is most likely cleared to a jury trial, and all the uncertainty and possibility of enormous damages that brings with it. Coverage at:http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=13645 Maybe it was all that holiday eggnog that did it. Who knows? But the kind folks atBlawg Reviewdeclared our Video Game Law Blog the “judges’ choice for Speciality Blawgs†in their Blawg Review Awards 2005. Coverage at: http://www.shorl.com/gyvatenyjika While we thought we were pretty good at coming up with cool and innovative ways to defend intellectual property,Ivy Supersonic has taken it to a whole new level. In 2002, Ms. Supersonic, publicist and hat designer to the stars,sued Twentieth Century Fox for trademark infringement, claiming she had created a character called Sqrat (half squirrel, half rat, all fun) way before a rodent character called Scrat showed up in the 2001 animated feature "Ice Age." She lost the case but is back and suing Fox again in anticipation of the release of "Ice Age 2," demanding her share of royalties from the estimated $500 million gross from the first movie. She's representing herself in court and has launched what she calls a full-scale media attack on Fox, which has includedrenting planes to fly around Los Angeles and New York pulling banners featuring pictures of her (semi) naked body, which she has had covered in Sqrat tattoos, publicizing statements in support of her cause from esteemed celebrities such as Tommy Lee, and posting every letter and email she receives from Fox on her website… Coverage at: http://www.scrat.com andhttp://sqrat.net The owners of a video game store in California were recently indicted for allegedly copying XBOX games and installing them on modded consoles. Video game piracy is obviously an infringement of copyright, and it might also be a criminal offence. Likewise, circumventing copy protection technology can violate US copyright law. Canada does not yet have anti-circumvention legislation; however, Canada’sproposed amendments to the Copyright Actdo currently contain anti-circumvention provsions. Coverage here:http://www.shorl.com/bejubugrekuko
January 16, 2006
January 14, 2006
January 11, 2006
January 10, 2006
January 9, 2006
the adventures of mary
The trustee for the bankrupt publisher Acclaim Entertainment, Allan B. Mendelsohn, has put the rights to more than 200 video game titles up for auction in Oceanside, New York. Famous titles such as “Crazy Taxi,†“Re-Volt,†and… “The Adventures of Mary Kate& Ashley†are on the block, though Mendelsohn has admitted that he hasn’t done complete due diligence on the properties, and thus some of the IP rights may be incomplete or nonexistent. For example, a game that included licensed properties may lack the license to continue using such properties, making the game itself a risky or worthless investment. It’s strictly buyer beware, but then again, when has buying a game from Acclaim ever been any different? Coverage at:http://www.shorl.com/hidamejygryny See the auction site at:http://www.maltzauctions.com/acclaimip.htm The lawsuit against Take-Two brought by the families of police personnel murdered by a GTA-playing teen will continue to trial. An Alabama judge has dismissed Take-Two’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit. As a result, the way is most likely cleared to a jury trial, and all the uncertainty and possibility of enormous damages that brings with it. Coverage at:http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=13645 When Acclaim Games went belly-up in September 2004, it left scads of vaunted intellectual property like “The Adventures of Mary Kate& Ashley†in legal limbo. Howard Marks, a former significant shareholder and executive with Activision, had the foresight to buy up what was perhaps Acclaim’s greatest intellectual asset: its name. Now, it is being reported that Marks is readying to launch a new company with the old name, specializing in casual, Asian-style MMOs. Whether Marks’ Acclaim will have more success than the Acclaim of old remains to be seen, but we’re glad to see that someone is making the attempt. Coverage at:http://www.shorl.com/hutababredrope Just when you thought monolithic publishing emperor EA couldn’t get any bigger, it goes and purchases mobile gaming company Jamdat for a reported $680 million, or USD $27 per share. Jamdat, created in 2000, will add a significant mobile gaming component to EA, which has thus far been unable to create a dominant position for itself in that area. It is expected that Jamdat will benefit from EA’s host of gaming rights, EA will benefit from Jamdat’s technical expertise and strong position in the mobile space, and cell phone users everywhere will benefit from having Madden with them during awkward visits from in-laws. Coverage at:http://shorl.com/duprobudyfrasty
January 8, 2006
Ubisoft Announces,"Blazing Angels"Ubisoft has
Ubisoft has announced a new entry into the WWII flight combat genre with, Blazing Angels (TM). The game, due out in the fourth quarter of the 2005-2006 fiscal year, meaning, Spring'06, will be released for the Xbox and Xbox…
We are pleased to announce the completion of the LB Peter Jackson's King KongTM: The Official Game of the Movie Walkthrough and Strategy Guide. The guide contains everything you need to get off of Skull Island including a detailed walkthrough…
Ubisoft yesterday announced the highly anticipated The Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones had shipped for the Xbox, PS2 and Gamecube (PC version coming next week), which means you should expect to see the game in retail stores today. In…
Activision's GUN, an Old West adventure game made by Neversoft, of Tony Hawk fame, is now in stores. There have been relatively few games in the Western genre, however, the suprise hit that was Red Dead Revolver and the mediocre…
January 7, 2006
Top 10 Dog Toys
A dog is man's best friend. Now it's time for you to be a good friend to your dog too! Dogs love toys which they can pull and tug at, toys which they can fetch and toys which make noises…
Now that the unwrapping of presents and the excitement of trying out all your toys is over, it's time to come down to earth and figure out how and where to store all those toys! After the holiday season, you…
Of late, there have been lots of video games for the XBox based on popular movies. Movies like Batman Begins, The Fantastic Four and The Incredibles have sparked off some excellent XBox video games. Some of these movie-based video games…
Bratz Rock Angelz truly rock! With their funky clothes, cool rides, great accessories and above all their attitude, the Bratz Rock Angelz are all set to win over the gals. This year, MGA Entertainment has come out with not only…
The Amazing Amanda doll is definately not your ordinary run-of-the-mill doll. Amazing Amanda is equipped with voice recognition software which enables the doll to understand and recognize her owner's voice. What really makes Amazing Amanda seem real and life-like are…
How in the world do the folks at Cranium think of these games? Hats off to the creators of Conga, a funny, exciting and fast-paced game from Cranium. When we started out playing Conga, it was a little confusing trying…
January 6, 2006
January 5, 2006
January 4, 2006
Wal-Mart Has Xbox 360'sBy
By Fear not Xbox 360 owner wannabes. Wal-Mart has gotten a new shipment in.
The Nintendo DS has an unlikely fan in shock rock king Marilyn Manson! Marilyn Manson was recently interviewed by American TV channel E! as part of a feature on what video games stars play.
Quake 2 has been ported to the PSP, at least unofficially. The development work, based on the GPL-licensed Quake 2 source code has been undertaken without any official sanction.
Blizzard is starting off the new year with a new patch (the version 1.9.0 patch, to be precise) for its massively successful, massively multiplayer online PC role-playing game World of Warcraft.
January 3, 2006 - Electronic Arts has confirmed today that MVP 06 NCAA Baseball has gone gold for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox gaming consoles.
Extract not available.
By now, this much is clear to us: Massively multiplayer online games are here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future.
January 3, 2006
January 2, 2006
"Harry Potter and the
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire videogame is now in stores. Based on the fourth book (and my personal favorite), Harry, Ron, and Hermione will have the ability to join forces via three-person multiplayer. In addition, Harry will have…
Activision's GUN, an Old West adventure game made by Neversoft, of Tony Hawk fame, is now in stores. There have been relatively few games in the Western genre, however, the suprise hit that was Red Dead Revolver and the mediocre…
Since Jer's jealous I've completed my PD0 guide, he wanted me to inform you all that he's getting very, very close to completing the rough draft of the LB Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones (TM) Walkthrough and Strategy Guide….
Ubisoft yesterday announced the highly anticipated The Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones had shipped for the Xbox, PS2 and Gamecube (PC version coming next week), which means you should expect to see the game in retail stores today. In…
I am pleased to announce that I have begun the LB Prince of Persia 3: The Two ThronesTM Walkthrough and Strategy Guide. The guide is currently in the rough draft stage and I'm only through the first save fountain, but…
Ubisoft has today announced the name for the fourth installment of the Splinter Cell franchise: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent(TM). According to the press release, the game"will completely revolutionize and reinvent the spy action genre by introducing an…